Certificate of Approval ILLUMINATING MUSIC: A RESEARCH AND PRODUCT DESIGN STUDY APPLYING SYNESTHESIA AND AMBIENT PERIPHERAL DISPLAY THEORY TO THE VIOLIN Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this thesis is my own or was done in collaboration with my advisory committee. This thesis does not include proprietary or classified information. _____________________________________ Foster Daniel Phillips Certificate of Approval: ________________________ ________________________ Christopher Arnold Tsai Lu Liu, Chair Assistant Professor Assistant Professor Industrial Design Industrial Design ________________________ ________________________ Thaddeus A. Roppel Howard Goldstein Associate Professor Associate Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering Music ________________________ Joe F. Pittman Interim Dean Graduate School ILLUMINATING MUSIC: A RESEARCH AND PRODUCT DESIGN STUDY APPLYING SYNESTHESIA AND AMBIENT PERIPHERAL DISPLAY THEORY TO THE VIOLIN Foster Daniel Phillips A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Industrial Design Auburn, Alabama May 10, 2008 ILLUMINATING MUSIC: A RESEARCH AND PRODUCT DESIGN STUDY APPLYING SYNESTHESIA AND AMBIENT PERIPHERAL DISPLAY THEORY TO THE VIOLIN Foster Daniel Phillips Permission is granted to Auburn University to make copies of this thesis at its direction, upon the request of the individuals or institutions and at their expense. The author reserves all publication rights. ____________________________________ Signature of Author May 10, 2008________________________ Date of Graduation iii VITA Foster Daniel Phillips was born on May 15, 1982 to Daniel Ellis Phillips and Donna Foster Phillips in Birmingham, Alabama. He was raised in Homewood, Alabama and graduated as an Honor Graduate from Homewood High School in 2000. He attended Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Mathematics in 2004. On August 26, 2006 he married Janet Kathleen Browning. iv ILLUMINATING MUSIC: A RESEARCH AND PRODUCT DESIGN STUDY APPLYING SYNESTHESIA AND AMBIENT PERIPHERAL DISPLAY THEORY TO THE VIOLIN Foster Daniel Phillips Master of Industrial Design, May 10, 2008 (B.S., Auburn University, 2005) (B.S., Lee University, 2004) 130 Typed Pages Directed by Tsai Lu Liu See. Hear. Taste. Smell. Touch. The senses are the conduit from the external to the internal. There are a select few who live in an almost unimaginable world where two or more of their senses are joined. There are many varieties of the phenomenon known as synesthesia; one of the most common forms is chromophonia, or colored-hearing. People who have colored-hearing see colors when they hear sound. Often, these colors are directly related to the pitch of the particular notes they are hearing. Is it possible for this concept to be translated for all to experience? v The process by which a distinctly new instrument, complete with an integrated music illumination system, was created will be documented in this thesis. The steps taken to bring this idea from concept to reality will be thoroughly detailed. These steps include: research into synesthesia, the fundamental concepts of music, ambient peripheral displays, the history of visual music, and the development of the violin and electric violin, as well as user-centered design practices such as the administration of a color-to- tone association survey and physical tests for increased user comfort. The production process of the instrument and the development of the electronic components of the music illumination system will also be documented. In the end, the instrument developed became known as the Vivisi electric violin. The Vivisi electric violin has two main uses: as a performance instrument and a training tool. As a performance instrument the violin uses the music illumination system to create an ambient display of real-time musical rhythm, pattern and dynamics. As a training tool the violin uses the tuning illumination system to provide positive peripheral feedback to those who are learning to play in tune. Both the music illumination system and tuning illumination system have application beyond the electric violin, as does this thesis. The process used to create the Vivisi electric violin can be employed in the design of a variety of products, but it will be most applicable to designs involving the ambient display of information using colored light and to designs of musical instruments. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to thank Professor Tsai Lu Liu for his encouragement, his wise advice given always at the right moment, and his vast depth of knowledge. Thanks are also due to the other members of the thesis committee, made up of Professor Christopher Arnold, Dr. Thaddeus Roppel, and Dr. Howard Goldstein. Your individual expertise helped to shape this project in a variety of ways. To my parents, Dan and Donna Phillips: Thank you for your endless love and support, it is hard to imagine a life without it. To my wife, Janet: Your complete dedication to seeing this project through has been amazing. You always succeed in your efforts to make my life better. And to all of the other individuals who have affected my life in a positive way, thank you, I appreciate you more than you know. vii Style used: Department of Industrial Design Software used: Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Excel, Rhino, Flamingo, Adobe Acrobat, Apple Safari, Adobe Illustrator viii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xiii 1.0 INTRODUCTION……………………………………… ............................................1 1.1 Opportunity Statement…………….………….………………......................1 1.2 Need for Study ………………………….……………………... ...................2 1.3 Objectives of Study.........................................................................................2 1.4 Assumptions ……………………………………………….…......................3 1.5 Scope and Limit ……………………………………………….. ...................4 1.6 Procedure and Methodology ………………………………..........................4 1.6.1 Idea Generation................................................................................5 1.6.2 Theory Research ..............................................................................5 1.6.3 Product Research .............................................................................5 1.6.4 Design ..............................................................................................6 1.6.5 Technical Research ..........................................................................6 1.6.6 Survey ..............................................................................................7 1.6.7 Technical Design .............................................................................7 1.6.8 Patenting ..........................................................................................7 1.6.9 Production........................................................................................8 1.7 Anticipated Outcome ………………………………………….. ...................8 ix 2.0 SYNESTHESIA…………………………………………..........................................10 2.1 History of Study…………….……………………………….......................11 2.2 Prevalence ……………………………………………………....................12 2.3 Examples………………………………………………...……....................14 2.3.1 Edgar Curtis ...................................................................................14 2.3.2 Solomon Shereshevsky..................................................................15 2.3.3 Michael Watson .............................................................................16 2.3.4 Victoria ..........................................................................................17 2.4 Relevant Studies ………………………………………….…….....................18 2.4.1 Ward, etc. Sound - Color Synesthesia ...........................................18 2.4.2 de Thornley Head - Synesthesia ....................................................21 3.0 MUSIC…………………………..…………………………………..........................24 3.1 Octave and Scale ……………………………..………………....................24 3.2 Frequency ……………………………..…………………...........................26 3.3 Amplitude ……………………………..…………………......... .................31 3.4 Intonation ……………………………..………………….......... .................34 3.5 Musical Expression ……………………………..……………....................35 4.0 COLOR SURVEY…………………………………………………………..............36 4.1 Existing Color Scales ……………………………..………….....................36 4.2 Test ……………………………..………………….....................................37 4.3 Results ……………………………..…………………................................40 4.4 Analysis ……………………………..…………………..............................43 x 5.0 PERIPHERAL DISPLAYS …………………………………………. ......................45 5.1 Terminology ……………………………..………………….......................46 5.2 Examples ……………………………..…………………............................47 5.2.1 Dangling String..............................................................................47 5.2.2 Ambient Orb ..................................................................................48 5.2.3 Speedometer...................................................................................49 5.2.4 Ambient Umbrella .........................................................................51 5.2.5 Swing Setter...................................................................................52 5.3 Application ……………………………..………………….........................53